This invention relates primarily to hung incandescent lamp dimming and non-dimming combination fixture devices and switches. Incandescent lamp dimming devices of various types having various electrical circuits and constructions are well known in the art. Six, state of the art, of many known prior art references, for example, are being cited herebelow accordingly, for providing a full or better understanding of the prior art, and this invention or at the time that at least one of several disclosed inventions, as a whole, was made.
J. b. rickey -- U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,602 -- Issued June 30, 1970. PA1 S. c. peek, Jr. -- U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,861 -- Issued Apr. 23, 1968. PA1 E. seid -- U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,523 -- Issued Apr. 3, 1962 PA1 W. h. fritz et al -- U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,986 -- Issued Nov. 6, 1962. PA1 R. c. morton -- U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,125 -- Issued July 21, 1959. PA1 C. e. felch -- U.S. Pat. No. 596,582 -- Issued Jan. 4, 1898.
The 1970 Rickey device being the most common type of incandescent lamp dimmer in use today, is a variable incandescent lamp dimmer unit which is generally mounted into a wall electrical outlet box, and further which unit is mounted in the removable lamp plug adapter, and being inserted into a lamp socket receptacle, and thereby being located after, in that it is located between a single pole single throw or a single position electrical "on" switch and the filament of an incandescent lamp. Rickey's dimmer device is thereby generally uneconomical or impractical for use with a multiple, for example, four position electrical 3-way lamp socket switching means because at least one electrical switching position being thereby always wasted. In essence, it is like putting "the cart before the horse" drawback or disadvantage.
The 1968 Peek device being a commutator type of electrical resistor which is inserted into a removable lamp plug adapter, and regarding the conventional four position disclosed lamp socket switching means, it is only useful generally as in Rickey's device, but in Peek at least two electrical switching positions are always wasted.
The 1962 Seid 3-way lamp socket, silicon diode rectifying adapter is generally the same invention as that of the following Fritz device and is owned or assigned to the same company as is the Morton diode dimming device, hereafter also disclosed.
The 1962 Fritz, being a silicon rectifier or rectifying lamp dimming device or unit which is freely dropped into a lamp socket receptacle portion having two electrical contacts of a conventional four position 3-way incandescent lamp switching means therein. Then the base of a conventional single element lamp 10 is inserted into the receptacle portion of the socket for electrical contact with the dimmer device's center electrical contacting portion, to thereby provide an off, bright, dim and the same first position bright illuminating position, in one revolution of the conventional ratchet type of four position lamp socket's switching means, and thereby repeating one electrical illuminating position with use of the conventional four position switch. Thereby, electricity is always wasted, as well as one switching position, and being the only use and combination of illuminations possible, thus providing the utility, as stated, for a single element lamp only and thereby also at least wasting money because of the second bright illuminating switching position for each single revolution of the switch, and when only one filament is desired to be illuminated and then switching the switch of the 3-way lamp socket switching means to its "off" position.
1959 Morton device also shows a half-wave diode rectifying means for a single element lamp and having the rectifying means in combination with a wall mounted switch, making it impossible to dim one lamp of a two, three or four lamp fixture means, or a chandelier, or even any lamp in a hung type of electrical fixture which is electrically connected directly to a conventional 24 volt relay means from the wall position. Morton also having a rectifying means electrically connected between a selectively switching means and a lamp inserted in a lamp socket as shown in FIG. 3 of Morton's drawing. Here again is the disadvantage, as is generally in all the prior art, whereby here again "the cart is put before the horse" and especially, for example, when a conventional 3-way switching means is present in the fixture or lamp socket means whereby the lamps full 3-way utility is not recognized or suggested, as in the objects disclosed hereafter.
The, generally 76 years old, 1898 Felch lamp dimming combination device being in the form of a hung type of lamp socket having an electrical heat producing and an electrical wasting resistance medium therein. The medium is manually rotated and elevated by a knob member located on the outside of the lamp socket housing, when a lamp is thereby desired to be dimmed.